Principal Shendah Benoit (right) with Education Assistants Michele Noel and Carol Knodel in the foyer of Tucelnuit Elementary School.

Benoit is starting her second full year as head teacher – a big job as there is no Vice Principal and this year 25 students in two grades are immersed in the French Language for 80 percent of the time at school. 14 students in grade 6 and 11 in the final year before high school. Only at Band, PE and recess will those students be exposed to training in English.

Communications is a key word this year for the school, teachers and Inquiry Time. Building on skills learned at home with parents and family – teachers will assess competencies before designing specific individual programs to help advance students. Benoit emphasizes the importance of communications at home, at the dinner table, reading time in the bedroom with a parent and even while driving.

What has changed? A dependence on hand held devices that tend to isolate and distract kids from communicating. Thinking can be looked at two ways – critical and creative and both are taught along with social interactions. Which gets us back to the balls on display in the picture.

Education Assistants now being trained to organize students during recess for maximum involvement and not just time away from the classroom. The social break now designed for instruction and learning skills.